This recipe is sort of impromptu. I kind of measured the ingredients, but you get the gist of the idea. It’s like Banana’s Foster — only not. No bananas and no rum, although I protested tonight that while these were frying the Mr. should run to town and get me some good rum to cook them in. He agreed that it would be very good to add some rum, but the cost of gas ended the idea. So, alas, here are our sweet, cinnamoney, yummy plantains, sans rum!

Ingredients

2 large plantains, ripe but firm (a few spots on the skin)
1/3 C. Butter (if you love me, don’t use margarine… please!)
1/4 C. Sugar
1-2 T. Ground Cinnamon (to taste)

Slice plantains in half crosswise and then length wise until they are approximately 1/4-inch thick. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Mix sugar and cinnamon on a plate. Dredge plantains in sugar mixture until well coated. Place in butter and cook about 4 minutes on each side or until golden; drain on paper towels.

I have made this delightful and delicious cake a few times in the past. The last time I made one, I slipped half of it into a dish I was returning to a friend who had fixed a meal for me while I was recovering from an illness. When I made the last one I sprinkled miniature chocolate chips on top and turned this already delicious cake into a decadent delight!

I do not have a kitchen mixer, so I just did it all the old fashioned way. I cut the butter in with a hand held pastry mixer.

Whether or not you make it exactly as it’s printed (which is what I highly recommend!) or embellish it a little with your own little touch, this cake recipe is a keeper. I plan on making this again this weekend, so I will add a picture as soon as I can.

As always I recommend not substituting any ingredients. Use real butter and cake flour. Substitutes always compromise the quality of your final product.

Enjoy!

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New York-Style Crumb Cake

Crumb Topping
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon table salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), melted and slightly cooled
1 3/4 cups cake flour

Cake
1 cup cake flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ sticks), at room temperature
1 large egg and 1 large egg yolk
1teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup buttermilk
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

For the crumb topping, mix together sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.

For the cake, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and preheat to 325 degrees F. Line a 8-inch square pan with a parchment paper sling (spray the pan with cooking spray, lay in a sheet of parchment, pushing it into corners and up sides, allowing excess to overhang edges of dish.

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.

Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Form crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with outer edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

There are a few people in this world who do not like peanut butter cookies, or so I am told. This recipe may persuade them over to the peanut butter cookie lovers corner. Simple, soft, tasty and satisfying… just like Grandma used to make!

Grandma’s Peanut Butter Cookies
1/2 stick butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ t. salt
1 T. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.

Beat together butter, sugars, and peanut butter in the bowl of a standing mixer for 2 minutes at medium speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat in the egg.

Mix in the dry ingredients until the dough starts to come together. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, roll them in sugar and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Mark the tops with a fork, crisscrossing and pressing down slightly.

Bake for 9-10 minutes until edges start to brown. Cool 5 minutes on sheet before transferring to cooling rack.

8 oz Sour Cream
8 oz Whipped Cream (either cool whip or fresh)
6 apples, diced (Granny Smith work best, but can be a combo of Granny Smith and Golden Delicious)
6 regular size SNICKERS® candy bars
Core apples, but do not peel. Cut into bite size pieces. Cut Snickers into bite size pieces and add to apples (works best if slightly frozen). Mix both creams together, and coat apples and Snickers with mixtures. It’s best to let this dessert set for a few hours to mix well before serving.

My son and his fiance are coming over tomorrow for a joint birthday celebration. They are both cupcake lovers and Key lime lovers, so found this little cupcake recipe and made it for them. I think they will be pleased with the outcome! The cupcakes are much more of a white color than in the picture below (I think that the pink platter must have given them a more ruddy look). There are little green flecks in both the cakes and the icing from the lime zest. They are very fragrant when they are cooking too.

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From CUPCAKE FUN

Margarita Cupcakes
Ingredients

* 1 package (18.25 oz. white cake mix (no pudding in the mix)
* 1 can (10 oz.) frozen Margarita mix, thawed (undiluted)
* 3 egg whites
* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 tablespoon grated Key lime zest

Yield: Makes 24 cupcakes.
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line standard muffin pan with baking cups.
2. In large bowl, combine cake mix, Margarita mix, egg whites and vegetable oil using electric mixer.
3. Stir in lime zest; mix completely.
4. Fill prepared pans 2/3 full.
5. Bake 22-24 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5-8 minutes.
7. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely.
8. Frost cooled cupcakes with icing and garnish, if desired, with a strawberry and/or lime twist,

Key Lime Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients

* 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
* 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
* 2 tablespoons key lime juice
* 1 teaspoon key lime zest or lemon zest
* 4-5 cups confectioners’ sugar

Yield: Makes about 3 cups icing.
Directions

1. In large bowl, cream butter, cream cheese, juice and zest with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Add 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time; continue beating until light and fluffy.
3. If icing is too thin add additional confectioners’ sugar 1 tablespoon at a time.